The Honors Thesis

The Honors thesis is a requirement for Presidential Honors Scholars, and an option
for Deans Honors Scholars. It can overlap with a requirement for your major,
or can be a project pursued separately from your major requirements. An
Honors undergraduate thesis requires greater depth than a typical course-related
research paper, reveals the student's in-depth background in the subject, and manifests
the student‘s commitment to rigorous research, intensive scholarly effort, and
an excellent final product.

A strong Honors thesis should:

Involve significant independent work on a major project

Involve the production of new knowledge

Involve thorough scholarly documentation and/or public presentation

Represent a
significant, substantial culmination
of the student’s undergraduate work.

There are a number of ways that students can complete their senior project, and there
are options both in and beyond the curriculum in their own major.

Pre-approved Departmental Capstone options:

Some departments have identified alternative capstones and course options that
meet the Honors standard for an exceptional final experience.

Check to see if your major capstone is listed as an eligible Honors thesis in
the
Capstone Course List.

In the case of approved courses in which group projects are central to the
work of the course, Honors students are expected to take a defined leadership
role in the course, and in conjunction with their faculty member. They
should be prepared to explain this in the Thesis application. These options
should meet the four bulleted criteria listed above.

Thesis-based capstone (496):

Any thesis-based capstone housed under the 496-course number in their major is
an eligible Honors thesis option. Students may also consult with the Honors
College to register for an HONR 496 for independent study thesis not offered
in conjunction with their departmental curriculum.

Undergraduate Research (497/498):

3-6 hours of undergraduate research under the 497 or 498 course number in their major.
Students should also apply to have these credits applied to their Honors curriculum
by first completing the online
research form.

Study Abroad:

A full semester (or more) of study abroad for which the additional honors
work has been completed for Honors credit. Guidelines can be found
here. Students should secure approval before they depart by completing the
Honors
study abroad application.

Organizing, writing, and communicating skills – writing a literature review, drafting
and refining, dealing with peer review as well as faculty feedback.

Further, it builds competence, discipline, independence, and confidence. Students
will learn about themselves, their field of study, and its relation to society.
They will learn whether they have the initiative and commitment for independent
research and scholarly effort.

Students may have opportunities to publish papers as undergraduates, become involved
in long-term projects which might carry over into graduate or professional school,
and develop better support systems with faculty mentors. Faculty may receive credit
on faculty workload for guiding Honors Undergraduate theses.

These skills, attitudes, and accomplishments make students more competitive for professional
and graduate school admissions.

Filing Your Honors Thesis

Students who complete an Honors senior project that has a substantive final
document may post their thesis to the Honors Electronic Thesis repository.
While we encourage students to file their theses in the University Libraries' collections
via this route, filing the thesis is an optional step toward graduating with Presidential
Honors.

Complete instructions for preparing a submission can be found
here.
Please follow all formatting guidelines, including converting your document
to a PDF file before you post it. Note that the signature page described in
this document is not required; its function is covered by the
Honors College Thesis Approval form.

Check the WVU
EDT Site or contact Debra Borelli in the University Libraries
by email or by calling 304-293-0324 if you have any problems.

Some thesis options involve significant group projects. In the case of approved courses
in which group projects are central to the work of the course, Honors students
are expected to take a defined leadership role in the course, and in conjunction
with their faculty member. They should be prepared to explain this in the thesis
application.

If there is an alternative capstone option in your major that you believe meets the
criteria for an Honors thesis/ senior project, but does not appear on the
list, please ask your advisor to contact the Honors College.